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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. last — final
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. last — finally
  7. rash — a series
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. degree — an amount
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. degree — temperature
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. rash — hasty
  17. last — to go on
  18. deal — to handle
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. degree — from a university
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. deal — a big deal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com